As our society ages, let’s make an effort to better support older adults

When Older Americans Month was established in by President John F Kennedy to be celebrated every May only million living Americans had reached their th birthday The present day there are about million people aged and older living in the U S comprising of the population By million adults aged and older will make up an estimated of the population according to Pew Research Minnesota s population is aging too By more than in of us in this state will be over the age of according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services The oldest Baby Boomers are turning this year This reality offers an opportunity for all of us to better aid older adults include them in conversations learn from them honor their place in the society and make sure across the lifespan folks are included in the strength equity conversation A multitude of Minnesota organizations are already thinking about what it means to be truly age-inclusive That includes reimagining workspaces to better endorsement all employees creating services that meet the requirements of people caring for both aging parents and young children and revising policies to ensure people can age with dignity As more of us find ourselves part of the sandwich generation juggling multiple caregiving roles the importance of flexible workplaces affordable wellbeing care and population sponsorship has never been clearer Age-inclusive promotion means having real conversations about the future of Social Precaution retirement readiness and other emotional and financial strains that multigenerational families face Age-inclusive patronage is about building a society where everyone at every stage of life feels seen supported and valued It is also about transforming how society perceives talks about and approaches aging That s the goal of the Administration for Neighborhood Living an operating division of the U S Department of Medical and Human Services It set the theme for Older Americans Month as Flip the Script on Aging One way to flip the script and offer age-inclusive encouragement is by creating programs and spaces where people of all ages can learn and grow together Of late the University of Thomas was named an Age-Friendly University part of a global system of institutions committed to being welcoming accessible and inclusive across the lifespan It is the first private university in Minnesota to earn this recognition with initiatives advocacy made viable by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services through the Governor s Council on an Age-Friendly Minnesota Becoming one of the growing number of institutions in the country with this designation wasn t about checking a box It s the aftermath of years of society partnerships cross-campus collaboration and listening St Thomas is doing this in plenty of strategies from intergenerational story circles and backing groups to the School of Social Work offering an Area of Emphasis in Aging Scholars project as well as its Office for Mission launching the Next Chapter Scheme for retirees to discern what God might be calling them to do next It is also in the form of supporting sandwich generation employees and rethinking how to better prepare students across disciplines so they can work with adults from a whole person-perspective framework in thoughtful culturally responsive means Such work regardless of organization or institution should not be done in a vacuum It requirements to be rooted in listening and by asking people what they need Every institution educational fitness care corporate and nonprofit has a role to play in making Minnesota more age-friendly If we do this right we can build a future that works better for everyone no matter our age That s the kind of Minnesota we want to grow old in Dr Tanya Rand is a social work faculty member in the Morrison Family College of Vitality at the University of St Thomas and co-leads the university s Age-Friendly University efforts Bob Shoemake is director of the Selim Center for Lifelong Learning at the University of St Thomas He will be retiring at the end of June and says learning and one s purpose doesn t end at retirement The post As our society ages let s make an effort to better aid older adults appeared first on MinnPost